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A11
news
Saturday, May 30, 2015 www.guardian.co.tt Guardian
Indian Arrival Day
Political Leader of the Independent Lib-
eral Party (ILP) Jack Warner says the United
States of America was trying to "put the
hurt on Fifa" because of its failure to secure
the World Cup bid for the 2022 World Cup.
He was referring to the US Department
of Justice s decision to charge 14 Fifa exec-
utives for offences related to money laun-
dering, racketeering and wire fraud on
Wednesday.
The US failed in its bid to Qatar and is
looking at another bid to host the 2026
World Cup.
Speaking to media in a press conference
on Thursday night, Warner, a former Fifa
vice president, questioned the involvement
of the United States in the matter.
"You guys, have you asked yourself, that
the person who did the investigation is an
American, Michael Garcia? The country that
bid for the World Cup and failed is America.
They are the ones who are angry and of
course this has to be some kind of evidential
witch hunt.
"You all don t see there is a link that
America believes they have a divine right
to get a World Cup and they don t believe
that a country like Qatar, a small country,
a Muslim country has a right to a World
Cup?"
Warner said he couldn t share this view
because he was from a small country.
"If we, as the smallest country in the
world could qualify for a World Cup, why
can t the smallest country in the world, if
they can afford it, host a World Cup?
"The fact is the World Cups before had
gone between Europe and South America,
never before in a Muslim country and I
make no apologies for that at all and I am
making the point that Garcia made some
charges against me for which he never one
day questioned me," said Warner.
"The Americans are trying to put the
hurt on Fifa since they didn t get the World
Cup bid. Why only people from Concacaf
got charged, what about Asia? What about
Europe? What about (Fifa president) Sepp
Blatter himself?"
Warner said he felt the US believed he
hadn t done enough for them to win.
"They got three votes. Even if I went on
my knees and they got six, they still would
have lost. The fact is they do not understand
that there are parts of this world that do
not like America. I have nothing to do about
that. That is not my business."
Responding to Blatter s condemnation of
the individuals charged by the US, Warner
said there was nobody who had brought
more shame to Fifa than Blatter himself.
"That is why last congress in 2011, I sup-
ported regime change. I feel he has not done
anything about succession planning and no
true leader operates that way.
He predicted Blatter would win yesterday s
Fifa presidential election. His prediction was
proven true after Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein
of Jordan, his opponent, conceded defeat.
STORIES BY KALIFA CLYNE
Political leader of the Independent Lib-
eral Party (ILP) Jack Warner says his night
in jail on Wednesday has made him
stronger.
Warner, 72, surrendered to police on
Wednesday and appeared in court hours
later. He was released on $2.5 m bail on
Thursday after his bail documents were
subsequently approved.
Warner said he was never once ques-
tioned by either American investigators or
by Attorney General Garvin Nicholas on
the allegations of fraud, racketeering and
money laundering dating back to his tenure
as Fifa vice president.
"I mean not once, you sign something
in 15 minutes and not once asked me a
question, but Ish and Steve, it took three
months," Warner asked, in reference to the
authorisation by Nicholas for the warrant.
"Nicholas is not AG of the UNC, He is
the AG of T&T. It is the mistake he is mak-
ing, the same mistake (former AG) Anand
(Ramlogan) had made before.
"That is why, I am making the point that
when they sent me to prison yesterday
(Wednesday) they thought they would have
broken me but they made me stronger."
On Thursday, Nicholas said he had no
vendetta against Warner and was simply
abiding with the responsibility of T&T to
uphold the law.
In relation to Ishwar Galbaransingh and
Steve Ferguson, who are wanted in the US,
on fraud charges, relating to the Piarco Air-
port project, the two men have successfully
challenged their extradition on the basis
of pending local criminal charges.
"How come the US cannot yet extradite
Calder Hart...and you want to extradite
me to the US for money they say I stole
from Fifa. It does not make sense."
Hart, the former executive chairman of
state-owned Urban Development
orporation of T&T, has been named in sev-
eral pending investigations yet to be
completed.
Ramjit said Nicholas had a duty to ensure
what he was doing was appropriate but
was "so anxious that he signed it imme-
diately."
"There was no natural justice at all. Not
even courtesy. Mr Warner is a Member of
Parliament sitting in the Opposition bench-
es. There was a deliberate attempt to make
sure Warner would be humiliated by arrest-
ing him on his way to Parliament.
"We received information on their plans
and decided to go to the police."
Ramjit said what was instructive was
that even though Warner and lawyers went
to the police by 2 pm he was not taken to
court until quarter to four.
"So you conclude from that whether
there was a manipulation of justice."
Ramjit said justice would take its course
as there was a procedure for an application
for extradition.
"We await the documents that have to
be sent by the United States of America
and when that comes, that has to reach a
certain bar before they can consider doing
anything with Mr Warner.
"In addition, if necessary, we will avail
ourselves of all the processes available to
us in our courts of law and elsewhere if
necessary."
Warner acknowledged that his sons had
pleaded guilty, but said the charges were
related to structuring of monetary deposits.
"They deposit money under $10,000.
They said they did it too often and therefore
they charged them for that.
Who has gone to the States and not
deposited money under $10,000?" he
asked.
Warner s sons, Daryan and Darryl, have
pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud,
illegally structuring financial transactions
and money laundering. Daryan has paid
back US$1.1m. They await sentencing.
"I am a citizen of this country, your first
obligation is to protect me and to ensure
that everything you do is designed to give
me the best protection.
"You do things designed to protect Amer-
ica, for charges that they say happened in
Zurich (Switzerland)," Warner said.
Independent Liberal Party (ILP) political leader
Jack Warner claims he has evidence and witnesses
of improper conduct by Prime Minister Kamla Per-
sad-Bissessar.
Warner, who at a political meeting on Thursday
night in Chaguanas said "all gloves were off" regarding
the Prime Minister and said he was ready to reveal
all he knew, said he had people on tape, and evidence
which could easily be verified.
"I have a third party. I have guys on tape talking,
who gave permission to tape them. I have names,
phone numbers, therefore it can be verified quite
easily and also too, you can check the sentry book
at Philippines and also at the Diplomatic Centre for
the date and times."
Speaking to media at an impromptu press con-
ference at his Chaguanas West constituency office
later that night, Warner said "timing was everything"
and revelations would be made in the weeks leading
up to the general elections, with the "mother of all
revelations" being revealed in the final week before
elections.
Warner spent the night in jail Wednesday as he
was unable to secure bail in time following an appear-
ance in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court, in rela-
tion to charges brought against him by the US Depart-
ment of Justice for activities as a former Fifa executive
member.
He was among 14 Fifa officials who were charged
this week for racketeering, money laundering and
fraud offences.
Warner also complained about the response of
local media to his arrest, saying they had treated it
like a circus.
"I am very angry because it sounds as if there is
something to laugh about, a spectacle. They talked
about the food in the prison and that was totally
wrong. I never ate what they said, they talked about
cocoa tea and sardines and so on."
He said all he had in prison was garlic tea for his
blood pressure.
Chairman of the ILP Rekha Ramjit said the language
used to describe the situation was meant to humiliate
Warner.
Ramjit said the ILP would continue to campaign
as before.
The press conference was held following a cottage
meeting at Egypt Trace, Endeavour, at which a crowd
of supporters showed support for the political leader,
forming a large circle around him as a saxophonist
played the gospel song, "You Raise Me Up."
Prior to Warner s arrival, shortly before 9 pm, sup-
porters said they were prepared to stand with Warner
and the ILP as they sang the lyrics "You can t keep
a good man down."
Jack: US on witch hunt over failed World Cup bid
...Plans to reveal
evidence in run up
to general election Jail time made me
stronger ---Warner
Independent Liberal Party supporters greet their leader Jack Warner during a cottage
meeting at Egypt Village, Chaguanas on Thursday night. PHOTO: MARCUS GONZALES